


Jane Doe

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, M/M, Political, Suspense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-11-15
Updated: 2006-11-15
Packaged: 2019-05-31 10:10:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15117191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: "Now you have jokes...I must really be in trouble."





	Jane Doe

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

‘One week ago today, CJ McGarry was looking forward to a weekend with her husband and children. She had been working hard at the White House as a senior advisor to new President Nancy McNally in the wake of the poisoning death of President-elect Matthew Santos on Inauguration Day. Mrs. McGarry stopped at the office of Chief of Staff Nora Ziegler and the women talked for a t least 10 minutes about weekend plans and Monday morning meetings. At 7:35, Mrs. McGarry signed out of the White House, chatting amiable with security as she always did. She did not use her car service on the drizzly evening, instead walking over a block to the 24-hour Caribbean market where she purchased a bottle of mango juice and a pack of Twizzlers. The young woman at the register was the last to see CJ McGarry. 

She walked back out into the DC night and has not been seen since. Seven days, and the FBI, along with the Metro Police Department have no trace of her. There was no ransom call, and no fringe group has claimed responsibility for the disappearance. CJ McGarry is just gone without a trace. After this amount of time, authorities usually give up on finding a live victim but the FBI is not giving up hope. With very little to work with, they are tirelessly searching for clues and witnesses in the disappearance of CJ McGarry. Many women vanish off American streets…this is not unheard of. 

But how does the wife of one of the world’s most prominent men walk into thin air? She was also famous in her own right. As she was poised to become the first female Press Secretary to serve two terms, her husband’s near fatal heart attack made CJ McGarry the first female White House Chief of Staff. Shouldn’t she have been under intense Secret Service protection? Particularly in the wake of three unsolved poisoning murders, including that of the President-elect? 

Much scrutiny has fallen on the agency in the wake of those deaths. Could CJ McGarry be another victim of their incompetence? Or could this be something more sinister? Family and friends just want answers because at the end of the day Mrs. McGarry is a wife and a mother with two young children who is very missed by her loved ones.’

 

Leo clicked off the TV as they started to flash pictures of his wife. Wedding photos, shots with the President, greeting foreign dignitaries and in her beloved pressroom. They even had those paparazzi shots of her and the children. He could not sit there and look at his wife smiling back at him…it was slowly killing him. John was right; Leo needed to see his doctor. He was afraid though; afraid he might really die this time. He planned to stay right where he was until his wife was back at his side. The hope was still there, even after seven long days. The FBI had more information than ever; they just had to find her.

“Dad?”

“Hmm?” Leo looked up at Mallory, smiling a bit as he realized she looked more like her mother everyday. His smile faded when he thought of his three-year-old daughter. Charlie had his eyes and his hair but her mother’s face. He was glad he sent the kids away from this insanity.

“Dad, you have to try to eat something.”

“I'm not hungry.” He replied. Leo didn’t feel hungry…he didn’t feel anything.

“I'm sure you don’t think you are, but please try. You haven’t been eating and it’s scaring me OK? I only made you half a chicken sandwich with a glass of cranberry juice. Please dad.”

Leo nodded, reaching to squeeze her hand.

“Come and sit beside me.”

Mallory sat, leaning her head on his shoulder.

“You’ve gone above and beyond for me.” he whispered.

“Don’t be silly; you are my father. I just wish it was not under these circumstances that we were close again.”

“Let’s just be happy that we’re close.” Leo hugged her.

“I love you daddy.” Mallory held her tears back.

“I love you too.”

***

“I used my mother’s recipe but I can't be sure it will taste at all like hers.”

“Its OK honey. We have nothing to compare it too.”

They laughed as Cliff kissed Donna’s cheek. The new Press Secretary was hosting her first dinner party. It felt surreal to be doing it while CJ was missing but they had to do something. So Donna pulled out her mother’s famous pot roast recipe, Cliff bought three bottles of white wine and they invited their friends over to Donna’s place. Nora, Charlie, Zoey, and Sam came over and tried to make the most of another rainy Saturday night.

“I think its good Donna.” Sam said. “It tastes better than my mom’s. Don’t tell her I said so.”

“Promise.”

They didn’t talk much. There was much to say but no one knew where to start. They did not want to talk about work since they were all just going through the motions at the White House. There was a relative calm now considering how the President came into office. On the fringes of the calm, as the country ran like a well-tuned machine, several investigations were slowly going nowhere in an attempt to capture murderers, kidnappers, and conspirators. Everyday the Senior Staff seemed even more embroiled in something that was starting to look like a television mini-series. Donna was having more and more difficulty reigning in the press as questions varied on everything to kidnapping, the Secret Service, the President’s planned trip to Japan and the President’s sexual orientation. That one was coming around again; it was not as if Donna could say don’t ask, don’t tell. At her last meeting with the President, Nancy just smirked.

 

“I've been out of the closet since I was 19 Donna and I have no intention of ever climbing back in. If they didn’t want a gay President, they should have never voted for a gay Vice-President. Everyone knows that I am gay; they just want me to say it aloud to make it a story. If push comes to shove, I will come out again, just for you. It’s the least I can do for your ultra professional attitude while dealing with the zoo animals that disguise themselves as the media.”

“Thank you ma'am. I was thinking more of an exclusive interview. Do it in prime time and let it all go.”

“Diane Sawyer?” Nancy asked. She was notorious for only talking to the press when she had to. She knew that would not fly as President of the United States but where her personal life was concerned Nancy was still making all the rules…she had her daughters to think about.

“No ma’am that will just turn it into something it doesn’t need to be. I thought CNN; Wolf Blitzer. That way you can discuss things pertinent to the country while they also throw in questions about the Secret Service and the fact that you like Angelina Jolie a lot more than you like Brad Pitt. CJ’s old friend Lauren Pierdon is Wolf’s program manager and I have her on speed dial.”

“Call her. Let’s set something up for the next couple of weeks. I want to get it out of the way before the Japan trip.”

“Yes ma'am. Thank you Madame President.”

“By the way, I don’t like Brad or Angelina…not my type.”

 

“Where is Toby tonight?” Charlie asked. “I was expecting to see him.”

“He is not very sociable right now.” Nora said. “I can hardly get him to have a conversation with me. It’s hitting him so hard.”

“Has anyone heard from Leo?” Sam asked.

They all shook their heads. Charlie had; he went to the Georgetown house whether he was invited or not. Leo never kicked him out…he needed him there even if he would never say.

“He is still fighting. Everyday it gets a bit harder. I was there last night; Dateline ran the CJ story. I wish there was something I could do for him.”

Zoey squeezed his hand as he choked up. Charlie remained stoic.

“What do you mean he’s in a bad way?” Cliff asked.

“He um…he looks like he did right before the heart attack. I didn’t know what to say to him. Mallory and I talked before I left; she wants to have him admitted to the hospital.”

“He won't go.” Nora said.

“Of course he won't.” Donna said. “He is one of the most stubborn men I know.”

“Is he willing to die to remain stubborn?” Cliff asked.

“His wife is missing and he is sick with worry.” Sam said. “I know he has to feel some guilt too, about this Silva thing.”

“We all miss her.” Nora poured herself another glass of wine. “I can hardly concentrate or sleep at night. The authorities have so much information but don’t know a damn thing.”

“I can't talk about this anymore.” Donna said. “It is all we talk about all day, everyday. I know why but I can't do it tonight. Please guys.”

What else was there to talk about? The whole case engulfed their lives. The press tried to talk to them whenever they could.

“I have a bit of good news.” Sam said.

“Oh thank God.” Zoey replied.

“I'm going to ask Ainsley to marry me. I don’t know if she is going to accept, but I am ready to ask her.”

“Of course she’ll accept.” Donna said. “A girl would be lucky to have Sam Seaborn be her husband.”

They all hugged him and for just a little while, the sun broke through the storm clouds hovering over the group.

***

It was getting late and Hogan was thinking about dinner. Some friends invited her out tonight; she didn’t think she would be good company. They were trying to be helpful and they were worried about her…she knew all of that. Still, all that would happen would be intense discussion about her aunt’s disappearance. It was all anyone in DC talked about. Eight days later and CJ McGarry was still the top news story. Hogan was glad of that in the sense that no one was forgetting. She was not happy that her aunt had not been found. It had been over a week, the chances of finding her alive grew slimmer every hour. Whatever happened, Hogan and the rest of CJ’s family were certainly ready to end this devastating chapter of their saga. Her cell phone rang and Hogan reached across the coffee table to answer it.

“Hello.”

“Hey Hogan, its Josh Lyman.”

“Hi Josh Lyman. Where are you tonight?”

“Atlanta. The Vice-President spoke at Morehouse College and received a standing ovation.”

“I'm glad to hear it. I saw you on the news yesterday; brush your hair.”

“How ya doing?” Josh asked after laughing.

“I don’t know. I just feel alone and sometimes as if I am in a surreal dream. Everything moves so slowly and sometimes I'm not sure if it is me or the Earth’s axis slowing down. You know what I thought about tonight?”

“What?”

“I am so glad my grandfather is not alive anymore. He would never be able to deal with something like this.”

“Yeah. I wish I could be there with you.”

“Josh, I…” Hogan stopped and cleared her throat. There was silence on the other end for so long; Josh thought the connection had been cut.

“Hogan? Hello, are you still there?”

“Yeah, I was just going to start to cry that’s all.”

“Oh sweetheart, you should not be alone. Isn't there someone you can call?”

“I want to be alone. I get tired of having to explain my emotions to people, or even worse, be expected to hide them. Why do people act so surprised that I am upset?”

“Because contrary to all that stuff you watch on A&E, there are not many families who have gone through this.”

“Josh, I wish you were here too and I'm sorry I was mean to you before you left.”

“You weren’t mean. I'm man enough to admit it hurt to be pushed away but I know why. You’re not going to push me away when I come back.”

“I don’t want to push you away.”

“Good. I bought you a tee shirt.”

Hogan laughed, sniffing and wiping away the last of her tears.

“You can be so sweet sometimes.” She replied.

“CJ said that to me once. More than once.”

“She is a great judge of character. I miss her so much and I just want her back.”

“Ditto. I want to see you smile just as much.”

“Bram is going to walk into the room and make fun of you. You would deserve it.”

“Thanks. I had better go anyway. Call me whenever you need to, you know I'm here.”

“You're busy.” Hogan reasoned.

“If you don’t put the people you love most first, then what is the point? I've learned that lesson the hard way too many times. Call me tomorrow to check in and if not I'm calling you.”

“Am I people you love most, Josh Lyman?”

“Yes. I thought that was obvious. People tell me I have a tendency to be obvious.”

“Stop it.”

“Why?”

“Because I miss you so much.”

“I miss you too. Goodnight Hogan.”

“Goodnight.”

She flipped her phone closed and went to the kitchen to find food. Hogan smiled for the first time in a long while. She was anxious for Josh to come home so she could put her arms around him. So he could put his arms around her.

***

The head of the Presidential detail walked into the Oval Office, sitting when the President did. They only had about 15 minutes to chat. Margaret’s schedule was tighter than a violin string today and Nancy never crossed her on tight schedule days. At 2:30, she would be meeting for a photo op and jersey presentation with the undefeated University of Pennsylvania girl’s field hockey team. They went 13-0, going down in the books with a perfect season. Starting this Saturday, they would be going for the national championship; Dartmouth was their first opponent.

“Tell me something good Ron. I think I deserve it.”

“The Weather Channel says we will finally dry out by Wednesday.” Ron replied.

“You're kidding me, right? Now you have jokes…I must really be in trouble.”

Ron gave her a small smile.

“Madame President, we have about 120 agents to go through in reference to the poisoning case. 1/3 of that number has been screened carefully by the Department of Treasury and then the FBI before being ruled out.”

“Tell me what the criteria are. What are the red flags?”

“Money is a good start. Any recent trips, particularly to the Miami area. Problems in their sheets or in their personal lives. We plan to leave nothing to chance but this process is going to take time.”

“I understand. What matters most is that the people responsible are apprehended. Take the time and get it right.”

“Yes ma'am. I know your time is limited so I’ll brief you on what we know so far. Hector Diaz is responsible for the procuring of the Amilcilixin. Whoever he worked with in the Secret Service started slowly to poison the four victims. Santos was the intended target…we still have no idea why the other three were poisoned. Mike Casper and I believe it was to throw us off the trail. It managed to do that for a while. Diaz used to be a henchman for drug kingpin Armando Silva but we cannot find a connection between the two since Silva’s release from prison a few years ago.”

“That doesn’t mean there isn’t one.” Nancy said.

“No. In fact, we know there is. We showed Diaz’s mug shot around the White House and the Hill and he was recognized as a pretzel vendor who seems to have vanished. He is Silva’s right hand. After they got their poison, they put the second plan in motion.”

“The kidnapping of CJ McGarry.”

“Yes. While there is no obvious connection between these crimes, there has to be something. The cast of characters is the same. We find Diaz and it will all crumble like a house of cards. I think we are very close.”

“I hope so. Keep up the hard work Ron, and keep me informed.” Nancy stood and so did he.

“Thank you Madame President.”

He left and Nancy went to the intercom.

“How much time do I have El Jefe?” she asked Margaret.

“Seven minutes, give or take.”

“Alright. I will go to the ladies room and then straight to the Mural Room. Is Donna there already?”

“Cam is there ma'am.”

Cameron Fields was one of Donna’s two new deputies. He used to handle briefings for the Minority Whip. Nancy liked the kid; he was handsome, funny, and smart. He felt as if he landed the job of a lifetime…had every intention of making his mother and the President proud. He was also openly gay and Nancy liked that. She usually did not offer her opinion about people’s sexual orientation but Cameron was a golden boy. He gave gay a different face to Middle America; he could be their son. He was their son.

“Am I going to be allowed lunch after this?” she asked. “I'm starving.”

“Yes ma'am. Hurry before you are late. Lunch will be waiting when you come back.”

“Chicken salad.” Nancy said.

“Yes ma'am.”

***

Mallory rushed her father to GW Hospital early Tuesday afternoon. Leo was having difficulty breathing, stomach pains and chest pains. He told Mallory his vision was blurred in the car. She was worried sick as the Secret Service took them into the emergency room. CJ had been gone 11 days and just last night Leo got what they all knew was the last picture. It showed CJ struggling as a pillow was held over her face. It was still life though; the FBI had no way of knowing if it was staged. They could not even positively identify it as CJ. The message read ‘She begged for you to save her but you are too weak. I made sure to let her know who the better man was before she died.’

“60 year old male exhibiting shortness of breath, stomach pains and chest pain. Also complained of blurred vision.”

They wheeled Leo into the emergency room and Mallory was left behind. One of the agents asked if they should call someone to be there with her. Mallory thought of her mother but knew that would upset Leo. She just shook her head…she would call if she truly needed to.

“Mr. McGarry, I'm Dr. Chambers. Can you hear me?”

Leo nodded as they put the oxygen mask on him. The nurse said his blood pressure was 139 over 92 and his pulse was 80.

“That’s a bit high sir; we want to get it lowered. Note in the chart that the patient has suffered a massive heart attack and received double bypass surgery.”

Leo kept nodding though he did not feel like listening. He was so tired; could hardly keep his eyes open anymore. It was hard to remember the last sleep he got…it had to be that drug-induced nap Mallory gave him a week ago. There was so much activity around him but after a couple of minutes, there was silence. Leo closed his eyes, letting the blackness engulf him.

“Your father is suffering from exhaustion and slight dehydration, Ms. O’Brien.”

“It’s Mrs. Roberts. He’s not having a heart attack?” Mallory asked.

“No. His body was warning him of impending doom, that is where the pains came from. I cannot explain the blurred vision but he did not have a stroke. He obviously hasn’t gotten much sleep and is eating and drinking very little.”

“I'm trying, but the longer CJ is gone, the harder it is. I couldn’t even get him in the shower for the past two days. God, this is awful.”

“Well, that is what hospitals are for. We are going to admit him for 48 hours. We’ll put fluids and nutrients in him, monitor his vitals and let him get some sleep.”

“My father is a recovering drug addict. You cannot use narcotics to put him to sleep. I would have done it already if I could have.”

“There are plenty of sleep agents we use now that have little to no addictive quotients. I think it is important to admit him as soon as possible.”

“I'm not going to argue. I will talk to him; I don’t want him to lash out at you for doing your job.”

“Mrs. Roberts, he is too fatigued to lash out at anyone. He is right through the door.”

Mallory went in and looked at her father. Charlie had been right, he looked awful. Leo opened his eyes to see his daughter; his eyelids were so heavy. 

“Daddy?”

“Mal.”

“Daddy, we’re going to admit you into the hospital and I don’t want you to argue with me.”

“What?”

“You are suffering from exhaustion and dehydration. You are killing yourself and I can't help you anymore. We want you to be better.”

“What if CJ…?”

“Shh.” Mallory put her hand on his chest. “Just think about getting better. Let the authorities do their job…making yourself sick is not going to bring her back any sooner. You have to take care of yourself or what is she going to come home to. What are Tim and Charlie going to come home to?”

“OK.”

Leo did not try to fight; he was just too tired. He wanted to dream because that is where he spent time with CJ.

***

“Toby.”

Nora arched her back as her husband worked his mouth and fingers between her thighs. He relished the taste of her, the sounds of her pleasure.

“Oh, oh, oh…my God.”

She quivered, running her hands across his baldhead. She ran her fingers through his curls, down his neck, and across his naked back. He took a firm hold on her thighs, pushing his fingers deeper inside her and finding her G-spot.

“Oh Toby, that feels so good.”

His other hand stroked across her stomach, up and over her breasts. Toby pinched her nipples and Nora thrashed on the bed.

“Toby!” she climaxed and then lay exhausted in the hotel bed.

Toby kissed his way up her body, all over her perspiring skin. He kissed her mouth and Nora tasted herself on his lips, on his tongue. Their kisses were long and deep…Toby growled against her. Nora didn’t even withdraw when he bit her lip.

“I love you. Sugar, I love you.”

Nora moaned, her eyes rolling back in her head when their bodies touched, as they hadn't in so long. She didn’t need to breathe; she did not want to stop kissing him.

“Nora, do you want me?”

Her legs moved around him, Toby groaned as she lifted to grind her pelvis on his.

“Yes, yes, ooh yes. Fuck me speechwriter.”

“Soon.”

“Now, now.” She was practically begging, knowing how much that turned him on. Toby had to try and step back before he lost control…Nora could do that to him. One of the best parts of their relationship was the fine line he walked between passion and loss of control.

It seemed such a long time since she felt this way. They both spent so much time bottling their feelings because of what was happening. Both the good and bad sensations were buried so deep inside of them. As much as Nora desired to be close to her husband now, she was the one who had been avoiding intimacy. If she allowed herself to be stripped bare, as she always was when Toby made love to her, she would crumble to pieces. Now was the time for her mask of strength to stay firmly planted. 

She could not even explain how she ended up in an overpriced room at the Hotel George for what couldn’t be more than 90 minutes on a stormy Tuesday afternoon. This rendezvous had nothing to do with afternoon delight. The Zieglers were drifting away from each other and Toby had enough. He loved Nora with his whole heart and soul; he was damn well going to let her know it.

Nora stroked him, hot and hard in the palm of her hand. Toby sucked her earlobe and her neck until she purred his name.

“I love you.” He said again. “I will never stop loving you, I promise.”

“I know.” The tears came and Toby gently wiped them from her face.

He slid inside of her, Nora gasped as she always did. Toby moved slowly, thrusting when he filled her.

“Move.” She commanded. “Now!”

His movements were frantic at first, a bit rough; Nora just held on for the ride. She kept her eyes open and watched Toby’s facial expressions change with each height he reached.

“Oh sugar, oh God, you're so good. Oh God, mmm, shit.”

Nora cried out as she fell over the edge and felt him let go. She kissed him again; his lips trembled on hers. Then he cried. Toby cried like he did the night David died. He cried, still deep inside of his wife and she cried too while holding him close.

“I love you too.” She whispered when the tears were over.

Toby lay beside her on the bed, on his stomach with his eyes closed. Nora moved closer to him; knew he loved the comfort of her breasts pressed on the side of his body.

“I don’t want to move. I want to lay with you forever.”

Toby wrapped his arms around her and they breathed together. Then a pager went off.

“Back to the salt mines.” Nora grumbled.

“Dammit.”

“Its OK speechwriter, we have forever. We’ll cuddle for the rest of our lives.”

“I would settle for right now.” Toby replied.

He kissed her once more and it was time to get back to work. The hamster wheel that was life at the White House never stopped spinning.

***

“Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday my evil twin munchkins, Happy Birthday to you.”

“And many more!” Iris and Isabelle exclaimed.

The cook came out with the double layer yellow cake with butter cream icing. There were 26 candles on it, 2 circles of 13. The twins smiled and thanked her. Tonight they had their favorite foods, a hash brown and scrapple omelet for Iris and steamed dumplings for Isabelle. Now they could stuff themselves on birthday cake.

“Make a wish sweethearts.” Nancy said.

They both closed their eyes, blowing out the candles simultaneously.

“What did you wish for?” Nancy asked.

“My preliminary wish is to stay home from school tomorrow.” Iris said.

“Why am I not surprised? You're going, but I thought we would spend some time together this weekend.”

“Sailing?” Isabelle asked.

“It’s a bit chilly so I don’t think we should go out on the water yet. Don’t worry, as soon as the weather breaks Uncle Doug won't be able to help himself. He has to sail the yacht. You guys are still on punishment anyway.”

The twins groaned a bit. Nancy removed the candles from the cake and cut three nice slices for her and her daughters.

“I know we’re on lockdown and everything but do we get birthday gifts?” Iris asked.

Nancy wanted to say no; she wanted to be a tough cookie. She had good kids though, despite the few crazy things that had happened during her presidency. Her presidency was crazy enough. They were all doing well considering the insanity that surrounded them.

“Ta-da!” Nancy held up two gift bags and the girls squealed.

They grabbed them; digging through like it was buried treasure. Iris got a locket, Isabelle an ID bracelet. Isabelle opened a set of stencils and colored pencils for her blossoming art interest while Iris found a new journal.

“There is a big gift in there too.”

Iris knew what she asked for but she let her sister open her gift first.

“Sweet! Thanks mom.”

Isabelle hugged her mother as she clutched a handheld PlayStation 3. Nancy smiled, kissing her daughter’s cheek.

“You can open your gift now Iris.” Isabelle said.

Iris smiled, pulling the paper off her gift.

“This is what I wanted.”

“I know. You only told me in 621 subtle ways.”

Iris got a portable DVD player. Her mother made her promise not to take it to school. If she did, Nancy would take it back.

“You can watch Speed Racer now whenever you want.” Isabelle said.

“Yeah, I gotta say that’s cool.” Iris replied, munching on her cake.

“You're not going to be watching anything for a while.” Nancy said. “You're both still officially on punishment.”

She took the video games and the DVD player from the girls.

“Mom, when is this torture going to end?” Iris asked.

“It has barely been a week. We’ll see how I feel in another week. Don’t mar a good night with a fight.”

“I won't, I promise. Can we at least watch a movie tonight?”

“Scream?” Isabelle asked.

“I actually agree with her.” Iris said.

Nancy thought about it and then smiled.

“OK, Scream it is. Finish up the cake and we’ll make popcorn.”

***

“Dad? Dad, are you awake?”

“Hmm?”

Leo sat up a bit in his hospital bed, trying to adjust his eyes to the light. It was Thursday morning, April 18. The former Chief of Staff was well rested, his blood pressure was down, and his fluids and nutrients were up. The doctors planned to let him go by afternoon as long as his vitals stayed strong. Leo felt rejuvenated though thoughts of his wife were always in his mind.

“What time is it?” he asked drowsily.

“A little after nine.” Mallory handed him a glass of water and Leo sipped from it. “Mike Casper is here and would like to talk to you. Are you up to it?”

“Of course, of course.”

Mallory nodded, calling the FBI Agent in with her hand. She sat on the edge of her father’s bed as he wiped the last of sleep from his eyes. Mike Casper tried to smile and as he did Leo’s stomach dropped. This was about his wife…something was definitely wrong.

“Just tell me Mike.” Leo’s voice caught as he tried to breathe.

Mallory took his hand; he was trembling.

“Last night there was a raid on a crack house in DC. A woman matching CJ’s description was found at the house. It was a place for squatters and a lot of them were there for trying to get out of the rain.”

“What are you talking about?” Leo asked. “You don’t have to bullshit with me; just talk to me.”

“After the raid they found the woman wrapped in a blanket lying in the back room. She had been stabbed multiple times so the police brought her to the hospital.”

“Is she…? CJ?”

“Does your wife have a pink flamingo on the small of her back?” Mike asked.

Leo could barely nod as he began to sob. Mallory looked at the agent.

“Is CJ dead?”

“She’s alive.”

“She’s alive?” Leo wanted to jump out of bed but Mallory stopped him. “I need to see her!”

“Not just yet Leo.”

“What the hell are you talking about? She’s been gone almost two weeks. She was right under your fucking noses!”

“It was a dump job Leo…CJ had not been there the whole time. I need to talk to you about her condition before we do anything else.”

Finally, taking a few deep breaths Leo calmed down some and nodded. CJ was alive; he clung to that right now.

“Mallory, could you leave me and Agent Casper alone please?”

“Dad, I'm not sure…”

“Please Mal. CJ is alive and I am going to be OK.”

His daughter squeezed his hand and she left the room. She needed to call her husband; check on her daughter.

“Talk to me Mike.”

Agent Casper pulled up a chair, sitting beside the hospital bed.

“CJ is alive. Her body is battered and bruised; she was stabbed at least six times. None of the wounds are life threatening and she didn’t lose a lot of blood. Her right shoulder is dislocated and her left ankle broken. Two of her ribs are also broken and her hair has been chopped off. She’s dehydrated and they found barbiturates in her bloodstream, most likely tranquilizers.”

He stopped and Leo kept looking at him. There was more; he already knew what it was but Mike needed to finish.

“Just tell what happened to her Mike. I don’t know if I can handle it but I can try.”

“She was um…she was raped Leo. The doctors found both vaginal and anal bruising but the rape kit didn’t come back positive for any semen. Her vitals are faint and they are happy she made it through the night. She is going to be heavily sedated for at least the next 48 hours.”

‘Take me to her. I have to see her.”

“I understand. She’s down the hall. Once she was stabilized, they moved her from Howard Medical Center to GW’s secured wing. I’ll take you to her.”

He offered to help Leo out of bed but the older man declined. He put on the robe and they headed down the hall. Mallory didn’t follow; she knew her father needed this moment. For a few minutes, Leo looked at her through the glass. He had begun to think he was never going to see her alive again. He walked into the room and sat down beside the bed. She looked so frail, broken but still fighting. There were beeping monitors, IVs in every vein. He took her hand in his…her engagement ring slipped off. Leo put it in his robe pocket.

“Hey baby. It is so good to see your face. I am so sorry for what I've done to you. All I want is for you to be better. Everyone wants it; everyone who loves you has prayed so hard. I wish to God I had taken you away. This is…I'm so sorry Claudia Jean. Just rest and get better. The people who hurt you are going to pay. I won't rest until they do. I swear on my love for you, and I love you so much. I swear CJ.” he held her hand to his lips, kissing it. “Just come back to me and I’ll take care of you. I love you so much; I never gave up hope of finding you alive. I never gave up hope.”

***


End file.
